insects

noun

plural of insect
as in shrimp
a person of no importance or influence the magazine's editor in chief was notorious for treating staffers as insects, often not even bothering to learn their names

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of insects Equipment is protected by carport roofing, but is not screened in on the sides to prevent the entry of insects. — Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026 Researchers have found that east-facing flowers warm more quickly in the morning and thus attract many more pollinating insects than west-facing flowers. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Nov. 2026 Just cut your perennials back late in spring to 6 to 8 inches above the ground for maximum benefit for insects. — Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026 Producing these flashes also costs energy and can attract predators, giving the insects reasons to make their signals both distinctive and economical. — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 1 Nov. 2026 As ecologist Doug Tallamy has chronicled, over 90% of herbivorous insects specialize on one or a few native plant lineages. — Pedro Moura, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026 Others eat nectar, while others still eat insects, fish and even frogs. — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 28 Oct. 2026 But for many adults who have something stuck in their ear, the debris is insects, such as ants, beetles, flies or cockroaches. — David Hu, The Conversation, 27 Oct. 2026 Planting certain types of milkweed can help sustain the insects. — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insects
  1. shrimp
  2. ciphers
  3. lightweights
  4. nobodies
  5. dwarfs
Noun
  • Pour the sauce over and gently toss with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until the shrimp and avocado are thoroughly coated.
    — Janelle Davis, CNN, 7 Feb. 2023
  • Brine shrimp are a critical food source for the aquaculture industry.
    — Evan Bush, NBC News, 21 Jan. 2023
Definition of shrimp
Noun
  • There’s that vibrancy and, on the other side of the ledger, dead boys, ciphers, unfinished or unfinishable quests.
    — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Consider a dashboard that shows applications, including keys and libraries; network traffic protocols and ciphers; hardware, such as HSMs and TPMs; and third-party dependencies, including cryptographic or software bills of materials.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Definition of ciphers
Noun
  • Jupiter, by comparison, is as much as 35 times denser than these two lightweights.
    — Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2026
  • The card will also feature several other San Diego-area boxers, including super lightweights Daniel Morales (8-0, 5 KOs) and Angel Juan Estrada (12-1-1, 9 KOs).
    — Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
Definition of lightweights
Noun
  • The people who eventually brought Elf to the big screen came from wildly different corners of Hollywood, from nobodies to legends, executives to improvisers, Comedy Central to Saturday Night Live.
    — Andy Richter with Aaron Karo, HollywoodReporter, 3 Nov. 2026
  • His presence was transformative; Stewart made the goofiest, most easily disregarded TV franchise for nerds and nobodies into a work full of warmth and gravitas.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of nobodies
Noun
  • There isn’t just catastrophizing happening amid the elves, the humans, and the dwarves — now there’s gossip!
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 12 Nov. 2026
  • Even when the visuals wowed, the characters weren’t memorable enough (save for the dwarves), the stories weren’t fun enough (again, except for the dwarves), and the twists weren’t smart enough.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of dwarfs

Browse Nearby Words

insectivores
insects
insecure
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Insects.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insects. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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